Dog attack sparks debate on banning breeds

Published 9:00 pm, Thursday, January 14, 2010

Coco was mauled Monday afternoon after being attacked by a pit bull and St. Bernard mix while on a walk on the Millbrook Club golf course with owner Elizabeth Hutchins.

Coco was mauled Monday afternoon after being attacked by a pit bull and St. Bernard mix while on a walk on the Millbrook Club golf course with owner Elizabeth Hutchins.

Photo: Contributed Photo

Dog attack sparks debate on banning breeds

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As their 6-month-old puppy sits on life support in an animal hospital after being attacked by two dogs Monday, Traver and Elizabeth Hutchins say they are concerned about what dangerous dogs in town are capable of doing to children in their neighborhood.

The couple's dog Coco, a vizsla puppy, was badly mauled Monday afternoon when Elizabeth Hutchins took her for a walk on the Milbrook Club golf course. A pit bull and St. Bernard jumped a fence and began the severe attack that nearly killed the young dog.

"The St. Bernard had Coco by the neck and the pit bull was going for her chest," Hutchins said. "I realized she was dying. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, but no one was around so I called 911."

Hutchins said the attack did not stop until a neighbor who is familiar with the animals came out and grabbed the pit bull by the collar. Hutchins' hand was injured by the St. Bernard when she attempted to save her dog.

Although police said the St. Bernard was the "main aggressor," Hutchins said it was the pit bull that did the most damage, causing deep wounds to the puppy's chest that caused a punctured lung, internal bleeding and damaged other internal organs.

Animal Control quarantined the St. Bernard and the owner voluntarily quarantined the pit bull for two weeks. Scott Diddel, who owns the dogs and lives at 52 Indian Field Road, was fined $167 for having a nuisance animal and allowing his dogs to roam. Richard Margenot, an attorney and friend of the family, said they were devastated by what happened and had sent their apologies to the Hutchins family. The Diddel family did not wish to comment further.

Although some major cities like Denver have banned pit bulls, citing statistics that show the breed is responsible for a high number of serious and fatal attacks on humans, Animal Control officers in town said it is usually an owner's mistake that leads to an attack.

Animal Control officers Suzanne Carlin and Stacy Ramour said while they understood the victims were justifiably shaken by Monday's incident, the fact a St. Bernard and pit bull both were involved shows that these type of incidents are situational and are not breed specific.

The Connecticut Humane Society said it too does not support a ban on breeds and urges owners to be responsible and treat aggressive behavior properly.